Nine newsreader Mark Ferguson has quit Channel Nine, and will be defecting to Channel Seven to read weekend news.

Ferguson had been in contract negotiations with Nine over the past few weeks, but has decided not to stay on at the station.

The move comes as little surprise to many, after Ferguson was punted from his weekday 6pm newsreading slot to the weekend, to make way for 60 Minutes journalist Peter Overton.

The axing reportedly left Ferguson furious.

For Nine, the shift didn’t prove to be a smart tactic – the one time news leader experienced a sharp decline in the ratings.

Ferguson had been presented as the face of Nine’s new This Afternoon news program, which debuted only this week.

His departure leaves Andrew Daddo and Katrina Blowers as the remaining hosts.
[..]
Ferguson’s shift to Seven raises questions about the future of [Seven’s] current newsreading line-up.

Rumours have been rife for some time that veteran reader Ian Ross is on the verge of retirement, with the popular Chris Bath set to take his place.

This would leave weekends for Ferguson.

Neither Nine nor Seven is commenting officially at this stage, although LIVENEWS.com.au sources have confirmed that the move is occuring.

Apologies for the quality of the text…it looks like somebody at livenews forgot to use a spellchecker.

I’m surprised that Mark would jump ship less than a week in to being “the news guy” on Nine’s new afternoon show, but to the same extent, he has every right to be annoyed with them. He was doing pretty well in the 6pm slot, was dumped on a whim, and has been shuffled between weekends, the Today show and weekday afternoons since. His body clock must be confused by now, and if Seven are promising to treat him better, then more power to him and them.

Mark is, in my opinion, the best television newsreader in the state. I wish him (not that I think he needs it) the best of luck at Channel Seven.